Friday 2 August 2019

Recent migration and expanding residents

Migrants: As Martin reported last night, numbers of Diamond-back Moth were elevated last night though in tens rather than hundreds for me in my Didcot garden - trapping with Berks Moth Group at Wildmoor there were hundreds though. The garden trap also had a few Silver Y but pride of place was a Bedstraw Hawkmoth, Rather worn but beggars can't be choosers and its still a stunning moth. Although considerably less exciting looks wise, an equally if not more interesting record from night of 27th July in Didcot garden was a Saltern Ear (genitalia checked).



Expansion: As Martin also reported, Tree Lichen Beauty seems to be doing well and spreading more with at least two individuals a night for several nights now in garden in Didcot, having only had one or two total last year. And, having watched some odd looking large-ish moths flying round the site at CEH Wallingford in Crowmarsh Gifford I finally caught one and it was Gypsy Moth which also seems to be spreading and having a good year (several at Wildmoor last night as well). I put out an actinic trap over night at work and caught 8 males in an enclosed area where I had seen the males flying round and round some birch trees for three days in a row. I'm not sure of the status of Gypsy moth in the local area but these are the first I've seen or caught there. Marc Botham, Didcot


2 comments:

  1. Very jealous of the Bedstraw Hawk, didn't realise they'd been found down here too ! Excellent!!

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  2. Sounds like Gypsy is resident at CEH. You might be lucky and find a calling female. I saw males by day last year at a site where I also found a larva casually, but this was much closer to London.
    Your Bedstraw Hawk looks like a female. If anyone wants to see larvae suggest you look on Rose-bay on a dry warm day (afternoon probably best) in open, rough grassland. I'd wait about a month or so.
    Saltern Ear very timely in light of recent comments. This one is 'typical' fucosa with the narrow kidney mark but they're not always so distinct and the others can look quite like it, including Large Ear (if the likes of Crescent Dart can turn up anything is possible)

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